Departing From: Washington Dulles (IAD)
Traveling To: Portland, Maine (PWM)
ETD: 4:45 PM EST
ETA:
Est. Duration:
Departure Gate: C20R
Arrival Gate:
Seat:
Equipment:
Miles:
Other:
Operated by Trans States Airlines
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Flight: United Express #7162 MSP-IAD
Departing From: Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
Traveling To: Washington Dulles (IAD)
ETD: 5:05 PM CST
ETA: 8:34 PM EST
Est. Duration: 2 hr 54 min
Departure Gate: E10
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 6D
Equipment:
Miles:
Other:
Traveling To: Washington Dulles (IAD)
ETD: 5:05 PM CST
ETA: 8:34 PM EST
Est. Duration: 2 hr 54 min
Departure Gate: E10
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 6D
Equipment:
Miles:
Other:
Hotel: Holiday Inn Select MSP
City: Bloomington, Minnesota
Chain: Holiday Inn
Property: Holiday Inn Select - Minneapolis Int'l Airport/Mall of America
Address: Three Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone Number: 952-854-9000
Check Out: November 10, 2004
I've stayed here many times. Super convenient to the airport (about a 10 minute drive - you can see it when you're landing), close to our clients, close to the highway, close to "Mall of America" which I've been to so many times I'm sick of it.
Sometimes its hard to get in here because Northwest crew seem to use it a bit and other airport related activity. But its an upgrade from a normal Holiday Inn (the "select" part, I guess), nice rooms, resturant and bar inside.
Rating:
Chain: Holiday Inn
Property: Holiday Inn Select - Minneapolis Int'l Airport/Mall of America
Address: Three Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN 55425
Phone Number: 952-854-9000
Check Out: November 10, 2004
I've stayed here many times. Super convenient to the airport (about a 10 minute drive - you can see it when you're landing), close to our clients, close to the highway, close to "Mall of America" which I've been to so many times I'm sick of it.
Sometimes its hard to get in here because Northwest crew seem to use it a bit and other airport related activity. But its an upgrade from a normal Holiday Inn (the "select" part, I guess), nice rooms, resturant and bar inside.
Rating:
- Safety: 1 - OK -- mostly a business area.
- Dining: 1 - OK, the breakfast buffet is the best deal. Half price coupon on check in.
- Bar: 1 - Happy hour pricing! Hangout for Business Travelers! 2 for 1 coupon on check in!
- Internet: 2 - Wired and wireless access, with bonus for free! Weak signal in my room, but I brought a cable. An improvement over previous stay!!!
- Wireless in Common Areas: 1 (another improvement)
- Work Space, Power: 1
- Shower: 1
- Air Conditioning, Bed: 1
- Common Areas: 1
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Restaurant: Twin Cities Grill, Bloomington MN
City: Bloomington, Minnesota
Location: Mall of America, 1st Floor North Side
Phone: 952-854-0200
Website:
There's nothing worse than being a regular (well, somewhat regular) to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and having to go to the Mall of America over and over. I'm frequently with a collegue that has never been there, and its an obvious thing to see if you're near the airport. However, when you get right down to it, the Mall of American is A SHOPPING MALL. Oh, its a big one, to be sure, but now that the rest of America has been well "malled" there's not a whole lot different other than the scale of the thing. Same Gap. Same "Bath & Body Works". Food court. Blah blah blah.
The amusement park in the middle is an interesting take, but business guys wandering around there don't exactly fit in.
So, the mall is endless levels of the same stores from your home town, with something occaisionally different. One visit is enough. Whenever someone suggests dinner there, my eyes instinctively roll back into my head.
The Twin Cities Grill however, is a plesant reason to have to go to the mall. It's real close to the door, provided you pick the right door, and its a place that's casual but nice. If you want casual, sit in a booth by the bar. If you want nice, sit at a table in the back. The place looks nice, with dark wood, a nice bar (for a mall), and is moderately crowded when I've been there (make a reservation if its for business).
The service was great -- not pushy, allowed us to talk -- drinks and wine were nice, and the menu is laced with some local things. I had the walleye, and there were a number of other fish choices. They have daily specials, and a good selection of different things, usually with a nice spin on them.
A good choice if you have to go to the mall.
(I couldn't find a home page for the Grill, but this link provides some information).
Location: Mall of America, 1st Floor North Side
Phone: 952-854-0200
Website:
There's nothing worse than being a regular (well, somewhat regular) to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and having to go to the Mall of America over and over. I'm frequently with a collegue that has never been there, and its an obvious thing to see if you're near the airport. However, when you get right down to it, the Mall of American is A SHOPPING MALL. Oh, its a big one, to be sure, but now that the rest of America has been well "malled" there's not a whole lot different other than the scale of the thing. Same Gap. Same "Bath & Body Works". Food court. Blah blah blah.
The amusement park in the middle is an interesting take, but business guys wandering around there don't exactly fit in.
So, the mall is endless levels of the same stores from your home town, with something occaisionally different. One visit is enough. Whenever someone suggests dinner there, my eyes instinctively roll back into my head.
The Twin Cities Grill however, is a plesant reason to have to go to the mall. It's real close to the door, provided you pick the right door, and its a place that's casual but nice. If you want casual, sit in a booth by the bar. If you want nice, sit at a table in the back. The place looks nice, with dark wood, a nice bar (for a mall), and is moderately crowded when I've been there (make a reservation if its for business).
The service was great -- not pushy, allowed us to talk -- drinks and wine were nice, and the menu is laced with some local things. I had the walleye, and there were a number of other fish choices. They have daily specials, and a good selection of different things, usually with a nice spin on them.
A good choice if you have to go to the mall.
(I couldn't find a home page for the Grill, but this link provides some information).
Flight: United #7162 IAD-MSP
Departing From: Washington Dulles (IAD)
Traveling To: Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
ETD: 2:40 PM EST
ETA: 4:34 PM CST
Est. Duration: 2 hr 54 min
Departure Gate:
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 4A
Equipment:
Miles: 918
Other:
Traveling To: Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
ETD: 2:40 PM EST
ETA: 4:34 PM CST
Est. Duration: 2 hr 54 min
Departure Gate:
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 4A
Equipment:
Miles: 918
Other:
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Flight: United #861 BOS-IAD
Departing From: Boston Logan (BOS)
Traveling To: Washington Dulles (IAD)
ETD: 4:50 AM EST
ETA:
Est. Duration:
Departure Gate: 4
Arrival Gate:
Seat:
Equipment:
Miles:
Other:
Traveling To: Washington Dulles (IAD)
ETD: 4:50 AM EST
ETA:
Est. Duration:
Departure Gate: 4
Arrival Gate:
Seat:
Equipment:
Miles:
Other:
Flight: United #860 IAD-BOS
Departing From: Washington Dulles (IAD)
Traveling To: Boston Logan (BOS)
ETD: 8:50 AM EST
ETA:
Est. Duration:
Departure Gate: D-4
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 15D (Economy Plus, Exit)
Equipment: Boeing 757
Miles:
Other:
Flight Number: 860
Departing From: Washington Dulles (IAD)
Traveling To: Boston Massachusetts (BOS)
Date: September 15
Gate: C4 (Gate is subject to change)
Estimated Departure Time: 8:50 a.m. on time
Traveling To: Boston Logan (BOS)
ETD: 8:50 AM EST
ETA:
Est. Duration:
Departure Gate: D-4
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 15D (Economy Plus, Exit)
Equipment: Boeing 757
Miles:
Other:
Flight Number: 860
Departing From: Washington Dulles (IAD)
Traveling To: Boston Massachusetts (BOS)
Date: September 15
Gate: C4 (Gate is subject to change)
Estimated Departure Time: 8:50 a.m. on time
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Drive: Home to Flemington, NJ
From: Home
To: Flemington, NJ
Miles: 388
Duration: 3.5 hours
Just a straight shot up I-96, NJ-Turnpike, I-295. Probably the only real interesting thing this trip was I used my "EZ-Pass" for the first time. I know it worked some of the times because you have to slow down to 5 MPH and a green light comes on. But the unit in the car provides no feedback to let you know its doing anything, and some of the toll booths have no indicator for you that they are doing anything. I guess it works, I'll know when I get the statement.
I was surprised how slow you have to get in Maryland to go through it, it's posted as 5 or 10 MPH. I know its not because of the technology, because the NJ-Turnpike booth at the end let's you go through at 55 MPH. Probably more related to going through the old toll booths which are narrow and have employees walking around them. But, slowing down to 5 or 10 doesn't necessarily give you a time improvement for some of the booths.
To: Flemington, NJ
Miles: 388
Duration: 3.5 hours
Just a straight shot up I-96, NJ-Turnpike, I-295. Probably the only real interesting thing this trip was I used my "EZ-Pass" for the first time. I know it worked some of the times because you have to slow down to 5 MPH and a green light comes on. But the unit in the car provides no feedback to let you know its doing anything, and some of the toll booths have no indicator for you that they are doing anything. I guess it works, I'll know when I get the statement.
I was surprised how slow you have to get in Maryland to go through it, it's posted as 5 or 10 MPH. I know its not because of the technology, because the NJ-Turnpike booth at the end let's you go through at 55 MPH. Probably more related to going through the old toll booths which are narrow and have employees walking around them. But, slowing down to 5 or 10 doesn't necessarily give you a time improvement for some of the booths.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
About This Site
I am not an expert on airplanes, the airplane business, or airport operations. I wouldn't even call myself an experienced traveler, as I only log around 50,000 miles a year which is nothing compared to half to full time travelers.
But, I am someone from an engineering background who has a higher than average interest in airplanes. I love the experience of flying, from the people watching in airports, the to watching the world go by below from the window. Over the years I have always paid attention to the equipment I'm on, getting around in airports, and I have my favorites and not-so-favorites in these categories. I've also taken pictures and recorded the things I've done along the way, and I've been wanting to get a lot of this information sorted and organized.
So, I've built this little site in a blog-style since it seems like a somewhat natural way to organize these things -- a log of travel events using blog software to publish logs. I'm keeping track of flights, equipment, and airports. I've also dumped info in here about restaurants and hotels to help me keep track of which ones are worth using in the future.
I'm doing this to keep records, allowing me to search through to the past and identify things in cities I might visit again in the future. If you find something useful in here also, then so much the better.
You can leave a comment if you have a Blogger account, or you can Email me.
But, I am someone from an engineering background who has a higher than average interest in airplanes. I love the experience of flying, from the people watching in airports, the to watching the world go by below from the window. Over the years I have always paid attention to the equipment I'm on, getting around in airports, and I have my favorites and not-so-favorites in these categories. I've also taken pictures and recorded the things I've done along the way, and I've been wanting to get a lot of this information sorted and organized.
So, I've built this little site in a blog-style since it seems like a somewhat natural way to organize these things -- a log of travel events using blog software to publish logs. I'm keeping track of flights, equipment, and airports. I've also dumped info in here about restaurants and hotels to help me keep track of which ones are worth using in the future.
I'm doing this to keep records, allowing me to search through to the past and identify things in cities I might visit again in the future. If you find something useful in here also, then so much the better.
You can leave a comment if you have a Blogger account, or you can Email me.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Picture: 757 Engine
Engine intake on a Boeing 757, taken out the window while over Colorado on approach to Denver. That's one huge honkin' engine! And, there's 2 of them!
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Flight: United #1140 DEN-BWI
Departing From: Denver, Colorado (DEN)
Traveling To: Baltimore, Maryland (BWI)
ETD: 10:50 AM MST
ETA:
Est. Duration: 3 h 33 m
Departure Gate:
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 16C (Economy Plus, Exit Row)
Equipment: Boeing 757
Miles:
Other:
Same plane, different seat. I'm in the exit row for the window exits and not the door exit. Flight is the most empty flight I have been on in quite a while. I have the whole exit row to myself, so I can kick back and enjoy a nice flight on a sunny, beautiful day.
Got to spend the hour between flights in United's Red Carpet Club. I received two passes as a promotion, and I'm usually not sitting in an airport long enough to use them (or I'm in an airport where there isn't one). The club was right outside the gate I was using, and I had a little more than an hour to kill and batteries to recharge so it seemed like a good time to use one. The Red Carpet Club (and similar frequent flyer lounges with other airlines I assume) is in some ways not such a big deal. It's a large lounge with some snacks, TVs, places to work, and lots of phones. But, it's much quieter than the rest of the airport, and since the clientele is mostly frequent business travelers they tend to be all polite, well behaved people. So, it's not really a big deal except its a place where you can relax a little because its a lot more peaceful than the rest of the airport. I sat here for an hour and had a cup of coffee and got all my batteries recharged and made some phone calls. Denver's club (there are two of them I believe) is larger than most I think. Of course, without the passes I would never pay to join
The movie on the flight is "Raising Helen". I have no idea what the movie is about, but I couldn't pay attention past the credits. 757s have the weakest entertainment options out of all the United flights I've been on outside of the regional flights. The only audio channel I feel like listening to is the jazz channel they run on channel 9, which they take over for listening to the FAA chatter (I'm listening to that instead - the sign of a true travel nerd). We've got about 3 hours of flying to Baltimore, so I should be able to get a lot done.'
Traveling To: Baltimore, Maryland (BWI)
ETD: 10:50 AM MST
ETA:
Est. Duration: 3 h 33 m
Departure Gate:
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 16C (Economy Plus, Exit Row)
Equipment: Boeing 757
Miles:
Other:
Same plane, different seat. I'm in the exit row for the window exits and not the door exit. Flight is the most empty flight I have been on in quite a while. I have the whole exit row to myself, so I can kick back and enjoy a nice flight on a sunny, beautiful day.
Got to spend the hour between flights in United's Red Carpet Club. I received two passes as a promotion, and I'm usually not sitting in an airport long enough to use them (or I'm in an airport where there isn't one). The club was right outside the gate I was using, and I had a little more than an hour to kill and batteries to recharge so it seemed like a good time to use one. The Red Carpet Club (and similar frequent flyer lounges with other airlines I assume) is in some ways not such a big deal. It's a large lounge with some snacks, TVs, places to work, and lots of phones. But, it's much quieter than the rest of the airport, and since the clientele is mostly frequent business travelers they tend to be all polite, well behaved people. So, it's not really a big deal except its a place where you can relax a little because its a lot more peaceful than the rest of the airport. I sat here for an hour and had a cup of coffee and got all my batteries recharged and made some phone calls. Denver's club (there are two of them I believe) is larger than most I think. Of course, without the passes I would never pay to join
The movie on the flight is "Raising Helen". I have no idea what the movie is about, but I couldn't pay attention past the credits. 757s have the weakest entertainment options out of all the United flights I've been on outside of the regional flights. The only audio channel I feel like listening to is the jazz channel they run on channel 9, which they take over for listening to the FAA chatter (I'm listening to that instead - the sign of a true travel nerd). We've got about 3 hours of flying to Baltimore, so I should be able to get a lot done.'
Flight: United #810 PDX-DEN
Departing From: Portland, Oregon (PDX)
Traveling To: Denver, Colorado (DEN)
ETD: 6:00 AM PST
ETA:
Est. Duration: 2 h 23 m
Departure Gate: E-1
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 9F (Economy Plus)
Equipment: Boeing 757
Miles:
Other:
Sitting in an exit row window seat right behind the door. No seat in front of me. Geat leg room, but no storage in front of me and the stupid arm rest tray. No one in the middle seat it looks like.
When we left it was dark. During ascent we broke through the cloud cover, turned west, and now its daylight. An amazing transition in its speed. There are now floors of clouds, and a very thin layer overhead with a very clear full moon, with the clouds breaking apart ahead. Lots of red and yellow in the sky as we approach the daybreak.
As we head east from Portland we're passing over geat views of mountains and canyons, with occaisional sections of those patchwork squares of farmland with different crops planted on them. It always seems kind of funny being from the east coast to see all that orderly farmland. I guess its a salute to how logically the government passed out land in the west compared to the free-for-all of the east (or the King's lack of micro-managing the process).
We're cruising at 33,000, and the sun is now above the horizon and lighting up the clouds. You get a whole morning from dark to sun in about 15 minutes. The clouds are kind of thin, and you can see the ground through them in places creating great dimension and pesepctive. I usually skip the window seat for the convenience of the aisle, so this is a lucky treat.
We're expecting to get in 15 minutes early. They also announced that this plane goes on to Baltimore, so I guess I'm on the same plane on the second leg. I plan on getting off and hitting the Red Carpet Club with my free pass since there's a 1.5 hour layover here. A chance to power up some batteries and make some phone calls.
Traveling To: Denver, Colorado (DEN)
ETD: 6:00 AM PST
ETA:
Est. Duration: 2 h 23 m
Departure Gate: E-1
Arrival Gate:
Seat: 9F (Economy Plus)
Equipment: Boeing 757
Miles:
Other:
Sitting in an exit row window seat right behind the door. No seat in front of me. Geat leg room, but no storage in front of me and the stupid arm rest tray. No one in the middle seat it looks like.
When we left it was dark. During ascent we broke through the cloud cover, turned west, and now its daylight. An amazing transition in its speed. There are now floors of clouds, and a very thin layer overhead with a very clear full moon, with the clouds breaking apart ahead. Lots of red and yellow in the sky as we approach the daybreak.
As we head east from Portland we're passing over geat views of mountains and canyons, with occaisional sections of those patchwork squares of farmland with different crops planted on them. It always seems kind of funny being from the east coast to see all that orderly farmland. I guess its a salute to how logically the government passed out land in the west compared to the free-for-all of the east (or the King's lack of micro-managing the process).
We're cruising at 33,000, and the sun is now above the horizon and lighting up the clouds. You get a whole morning from dark to sun in about 15 minutes. The clouds are kind of thin, and you can see the ground through them in places creating great dimension and pesepctive. I usually skip the window seat for the convenience of the aisle, so this is a lucky treat.
We're expecting to get in 15 minutes early. They also announced that this plane goes on to Baltimore, so I guess I'm on the same plane on the second leg. I plan on getting off and hitting the Red Carpet Club with my free pass since there's a 1.5 hour layover here. A chance to power up some batteries and make some phone calls.
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